All Blacks coach Dave Rennie takes aim at time-wasting ahead of Springboks Tests

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has criticised what he believes is the deliberate use of time-wasting in international rugby, in comments that appeared to be aimed at the Springboks and other South African sides.

Rennie was speaking after New Zealand secured their second victory of the Greatest Rivalry Tour, beating the Sharks 54-0 in Durban on Tuesday. The All Blacks controlled the match from start to finish, but their coach had already made clear that he wanted the game to be played at a faster pace.

Before kick-off, Rennie said New Zealand intended to raise the issue with the match officials, with particular focus on reducing delays and ensuring the game moved on quickly.

“That’s the question that we’ll be asking. We’ll give some feedback to the officials later today, in preparation for the Sharks as well,” Rennie said in the build-up to the match.

There is a perception among some supporters outside South Africa, particularly on social media, that the Springboks use time-wasting as part of their approach. Rennie did not directly name them, but his remarks came while the All Blacks are touring South Africa and preparing for Tests against the world champions.

The New Zealand coach said teams could make tactical use of stoppages, with lineout preparations among the areas he believes are taking too long. He suggested that players being slow to get back to their positions, or remaining on the ground, could extend breaks in play.

“If they can decide to put players on the floor, the length of our stoppage, then I think the officials will understand that it’s tactical and let us play,” Rennie said.

He also argued that the issue had become increasingly common across international rugby, rather than being limited to one team or one country.

“And also, it’s a real trend in world rugby at the moment, every time there’s a line-out, sides are on the ball, and there’s a big meeting, it takes ages to actually get the game going.

“So, historically, that’s been refereed and pressured, so we’d like to see that.”

Rennie’s comments came after the All Blacks followed up their opening success on the tour with a commanding result against the Sharks. New Zealand scored 54 points without conceding, underlining the gulf between the sides in Durban.

The focus now turns towards the meetings with the Springboks, with Rennie’s call for officials to act more firmly on delays adding another edge to the forthcoming contests. His criticism was framed around the broader handling of time during matches, but the timing and location of his comments ensured that South African rugby was central to the discussion.